Germany turns to Netherlands for more medical marijuana

The Netherlands has agreed to significantly increase shipments of medical cannabis to Germany to help the country cope with soaring demand.

Dutch Health Minister Hugo de Jonge and his German counterpart, Jens Spahn, agreed to more than double medical cannabis shipments from the current 700 kilograms (1,543 pounds) per year to 1,500 kilograms, according to the Der Spiegel newspaper.

That means Germany will rely on imports to meet all its medical cannabis demand until at least 2020.

Canadian companies such as Aurora Cannabis, Canopy Growth, Cronos and Tilray are establishing cultivation centers throughout Europe to meet demand, meaning more shipments will be crossing European borders in the coming years.

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